Thierry Hermès

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Thierry Hermès
File:ThierryHermès.jpg
Born
Thierry Hermes

(1801-01-10)10 January 1801
Crefeld, Roer Department, French First Republic (present-day Krefeld, Germany)
Died10 January 1878 (aged 77)
Neuilly-sur-Seine, Paris, French Third Republic
CitizenshipFrench
Occupation(s)Businessman, saddle maker
Known for
SpouseChristine Pétronille Pierrart
ChildrenCharles-Émile Hermès
Parent(s)Thierry Hermès
Agnese Kuhnen

Thierry Hermès (pronounced [tjɛʁi ɛʁmɛs]; 10 January 1801 – 10 January 1878) was a French leather-harness maker and businessman of German origin. He is the founder of Hermès.[1]

Early life and education

Thierry Hermès was born in 1801 in the city of Krefeld in modern-day Germany, which was at the time part of the Roer department of the French First Republic as a result of the Revolutionary Wars; he was thus born a French citizen.[2] Hermès was the sixth child of an innkeeper and his wife, Agnese Kuhnen.[3] After the death of his parents in 1821, Hermès moved to France as an orphan.[4] He settled in Pont-Audemer and became an apprentice to a local artisan harness-maker. After moving to Paris, he founded Hermès in 1837, which was originally a horse harness factory located in the Parisian neighborhood known as Grands Boulevards.[5]

Career

In 1837, Thierry Hermès founded the Hermès company, a workshop specialized in the manufacturing of horse harnesses, on the Rue Basse du Rempart in Paris.[6] Hermès specialized in the horse harnesses required by society traps, caleches, and carriages.[7] He built his business on the strength of a stitch that could only be done by hand.[8] The saddle stitch was completed when two needles worked two waxed linen threads in tensile opposition.[9] The quality and beauty of Hermès bridles and harnesses were unrivalled for the Parisian beau monde who relied on equipage for travel[10] and among the clients were the Emperor of the French himself, Napoleon III and his spouse, Eugénie de Montijo.[11] The business he had established would, under his successors, in the generations that followed, evolve from harness and saddles to trunks, handbags, zippers, etc, the Hermès brand is now reputed for.[12]

Personal life and posterity

On April 17, 1828, Thierry Hermès married Christine Pétronille Piérart (1805 - April 30, 1896), daughter of Adrien Piérart and Madeleine Cordé. They had one son named Charles-Émile.[13][14] He took over the family business and moved the store to 24 rue du Faubourg Saint-Honoré;[15] this meant that the store was now in proximity to wealthy clients.[16][17] Charles-Émile had two sons of his own, Adolphe and Émile-Maurice, who were involved in the family business building elite clientele in Europe, America, North Africa and Asia.[18][19] Adolphe left Émile-Maurice with the business as he believed that the company had a limited future in the era of horseless carriages.[20] Émile-Maurice noticed the demand for saddlery, leading him to steer Hermès towards the making of "saddle-stitched" leather goods and trunks for the customers who traveled by car, train or ship.[21] After realizing the company was diving into the age of automobiles, Émile-Maurice acquired a two-year patent for the zipper which was known as the "Hermès Fastener".[22] Once the zipper was introduced, the clothing era was transformed.[23] Other businesses such as Coco Chanel wanted to learn from them due to their rapid growth and popularity.[24] Émile Hermès' sons-in-law, Robert Dumas-Hermès (1898-1978) and Jean-René Guerrand-Hermès (1901-1993) took over the company in 1950.[25] In 1993, the company went public but the ownership of 80% of the shares remained with Hermès family members.[26]

Legacy

Hermès has many innovations which are still known to this day.[27] The Hermès zipper founded in 1923 is used in many of the bags today.[28] The silk Hermès used for jockeys' blouses developed the first silk scarf, "Jeu des Omnibus et Dames blanches" in 1923.[29] Around the 1930s, Hermès International launched several items that became classics, including the large crocodile handbag known later as the Kelly, named for Grace Kelly.[30][31] The company later developed men's neckties, watches, and new scarf designs.[32] Today, Hermès features products like charms (starting at $40) and an oversize panda-bear bean-bag made of Clémnce bull-calf leather (most expensive at $100,000).[33] One of the known classics, the Birkin, was named after actress Jane Birkin and created by Jean-Louis Dumas in 1984.[34] Today, Hermès has 283 stores worldwide.[35] Since 1923, Hermès has a color theme every year for their collections, creating limited edition items like the "Year of the River" (2005) silk scarf.[36]

The Creation of the Birkin Bag

The Birkin bag was born in the 1980s, and its creation is credited to a chance meeting between the CEO of Hermès, Jean-Louis Dumas, and the British actress and singer Jane Birkin. In 1981, Birkin was seated next to Jean-Louis Dumas on a flight from Paris to London. During the flight, Birkin’s own handbag, which she was carrying at the time, spilled its contents everywhere. She started complaining to Dumas about the lack of practical, stylish bags that could hold her personal belongings in an organized way. At the time, Birkin was a well-known celebrity and a style icon, known for her bohemian chic aesthetic. Dumas, who was the creative director of Hermès, listened attentively to Birkin’s ideas and frustrations. As the story goes, Dumas, fascinated by Birkin’s thoughts on the ideal handbag, sketched a design for a bag on the spot. He was inspired by her need for a spacious, durable, and elegant bag. The result was the Birkin bag, which was first introduced by Hermès in 1984. It was an instant success, blending practicality with luxury, and it quickly became synonymous with both sophistication and exclusivity. The bag is characterized by its large, structured shape, double handles, a flap closure, and a lock and key.

Why the Birkin Bag Became So Iconic

Exclusivity: Hermès maintained tight control over production, limiting availability and ensuring that the bags were difficult to obtain, making them highly coveted. This exclusivity, combined with the brand's reputation for quality, turned the Birkin into a symbol of wealth and status. Craftsmanship: Each Birkin bag is handmade by skilled artisans in Hermès' workshops, often requiring 18 to 25 hours to craft. This attention to detail and commitment to quality make the bags not only functional but also works of art. Customization: Over the years, Hermès has offered various customization options for the Birkin, including a wide range of colors, leathers, and finishes, allowing owners to create a unique and personal piece. Celebrity Endorsement: Celebrities, royalty, and high-profile individuals have embraced the Birkin bag, further cementing its status as a luxury symbol. Famous owners include Victoria Beckham, Kim Kardashian, and Jane Birkin herself, who famously owned several Birkins over the years. Price and Investment Value: The Birkin bag is known for its high price tag, with some limited editions or bags made from exotic materials (like crocodile or ostrich) fetching prices in the tens of thousands of dollars. Moreover, certain vintage Birkins have appreciated in value over time, making them not only a status symbol but also a potential investment.

References

  1. ↑ Vanity Fair, Issues 562-565. Condé Nast Publications. 2007.
  2. ↑ Vanity Fair, Issues 562-565. Condé Nast Publications. 2007.
  3. ↑ Vanity Fair, Issues 562-565. Condé Nast Publications. 2007.
  4. ↑ Vanity Fair, Issues 562-565. Condé Nast Publications. 2007.
  5. ↑ GuÈRin, Polly (2007). Family Tradition. Art & Antiques Vol. 30 Issue 7. pp. 99–103.
  6. ↑ Vanity Fair, Issues 562-565. Condé Nast Publications. 2007.
  7. ↑ Vanity Fair, Issues 562-565. Condé Nast Publications. 2007.
  8. ↑ Vanity Fair, Issues 562-565. Condé Nast Publications. 2007.
  9. ↑ Vanity Fair, Issues 562-565. Condé Nast Publications. 2007.
  10. ↑ Adams, Susan. "Inside Hermès: Luxury's Secret Empire". Forbes.
  11. ↑ Vanity Fair, Issues 562-565. Condé Nast Publications. 2007.
  12. ↑ Adams, Susan. "Inside Hermès: Luxury's Secret Empire". Forbes.
  13. ↑ Adams, Susan. "Inside Hermès: Luxury's Secret Empire". Forbes.
  14. ↑ GuÈRin, Polly (2007). Family Tradition. Art & Antiques Vol. 30 Issue 7. pp. 99–103.
  15. ↑ GuÈRin, Polly (2007). Family Tradition. Art & Antiques Vol. 30 Issue 7. pp. 99–103.
  16. ↑ GuÈRin, Polly (2007). Family Tradition. Art & Antiques Vol. 30 Issue 7. pp. 99–103.
  17. ↑ Adams, Susan. "Inside Hermès: Luxury's Secret Empire". Forbes.
  18. ↑ Adams, Susan. "Inside Hermès: Luxury's Secret Empire". Forbes.
  19. ↑ GuÈRin, Polly (2007). Family Tradition. Art & Antiques Vol. 30 Issue 7. pp. 99–103.
  20. ↑ Adams, Susan. "Inside Hermès: Luxury's Secret Empire". Forbes.
  21. ↑ GuÈRin, Polly (2007). Family Tradition. Art & Antiques Vol. 30 Issue 7. pp. 99–103.
  22. ↑ GuÈRin, Polly (2007). Family Tradition. Art & Antiques Vol. 30 Issue 7. pp. 99–103.
  23. ↑ GuÈRin, Polly (2007). Family Tradition. Art & Antiques Vol. 30 Issue 7. pp. 99–103.
  24. ↑ Vanity Fair, Issues 562-565. Condé Nast Publications. 2007.
  25. ↑ Adams, Susan. "Inside Hermès: Luxury's Secret Empire". Forbes.
  26. ↑ GuÈRin, Polly (2007). Family Tradition. Art & Antiques Vol. 30 Issue 7. pp. 99–103.
  27. ↑ GuÈRin, Polly (2007). Family Tradition. Art & Antiques Vol. 30 Issue 7. pp. 99–103.
  28. ↑ GuÈRin, Polly (2007). Family Tradition. Art & Antiques Vol. 30 Issue 7. pp. 99–103.
  29. ↑ GuÈRin, Polly (2007). Family Tradition. Art & Antiques Vol. 30 Issue 7. pp. 99–103.
  30. ↑ GuÈRin, Polly (2007). Family Tradition. Art & Antiques Vol. 30 Issue 7. pp. 99–103.
  31. ↑ Vanity Fair, Issues 562-565. Condé Nast Publications. 2007.
  32. ↑ GuÈRin, Polly (2007). Family Tradition. Art & Antiques Vol. 30 Issue 7. pp. 99–103.
  33. ↑ Cristobal, Sarah (2011). ONE FOR ALL: HERMÈS EXCLUSIVES Issue 3598. Harper's Bazaar. p. 124.
  34. ↑ GuÈRin, Polly (2007). Family Tradition. Art & Antiques Vol. 30 Issue 7. pp. 99–103.
  35. ↑ Vanity Fair, Issues 562-565. Condé Nast Publications. 2007.
  36. ↑ GuÈRin, Polly (2007). Family Tradition. Art & Antiques Vol. 30 Issue 7. pp. 99–103.
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